Description
Object description
British private served with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, France, Belgium and North Africa, 10/1939-1/1943; private and NCO served with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India and Burma, 2/1943-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Chatham and Rochester, GB, 1918-1939: origins of first name; family circumstances; education; employment in building industry; lack of effects of Depression during 1930s; social activities; story of family's move to Starkey Castle near Borstal, 1934-1935; amusing story of the haunting of Starkey Castle.
REEL 2 Continues: story of brother William 'Bill' Daunt's desertion from Royal Engineers; story of meeting wife in Borstal; brother William 'Bill' Daunt's activities. Recollections of enlistment and training with Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regimental Depot, Invicta Park Barracks, Maidstone, GB, 7/1939-10/1939: receiving call-up for militia training, 7/1939; amusing story of interview for militia; reception at regimental depot; pattern of training; militiaman who had financial problems; accommodation and how it changed after, 3/9/1939; drilling; relations between NCOs and militiamen.
REEL 3 Continues: adjusting to army life; issue of uniforms; issue of rifle and technique for firing it; amusing story of exercising with respirators; bayonet practise; training with grenades; opinion of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle; gas training; guard duties; contact with civilians in Maidstone.
REEL 4 Continues: memories of outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; changes in militiaman status after 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, 10/1939-4/1940: joining unit at Axminster, 10/1939; loss of troops during scheme; relations between territorials and militiamen; memories of officers and NCOs; memories of Private Danny Rickwood; role of pioneer platoon; daily routine at Axminster; route marches and physical fitness; story of marriage, 11/11/1939; preparations for move to France, 3/1940; question of not being able to drive.
REEL 5 Continues: attempt of Private Peter Horton to avoid move to France; departure from Axminster. Aspects of period as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in France, 4/1940-5/1940: train journey from Cherbourg; billeting in farmhouse; relations between troops and French civilians. Recollections of operations with as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 5/1940: first day of operations, 10/5/1940; reception from Belgian civilians; order to withdrawal from Oudenaarde, Belgium; German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attacks at Oudanaarde, Belgium; sight of Germans whilst guarding level crossing; decision of his section to pull out after battalion had withdrawn; narrow escape from Germans in farmhouse; rejoining battalion; issue of every man for himself order; nature of journey to Dunkirk, France; foraging for food in Dunkirk, France; accommodation in Dunkirk, France.
REEL 6 Continues: situation in Dunkirk, France; character of evacuation; lack of Royal Air Force presence over beaches; move onto East Mole at Dunkirk, France; embarking on board ship carrying petrol; throwing weapons and equipment overboard; German Air Force attack on ship; arrival at Dover and move to Folkestone, GB; reception in GB. Recollections of period as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, 6/1940-4/1942: move to Winterborne Gunner; treatment by civilians in Salisbury; orders not to speak to civilians and cadets; contacting home; move to Oxford, Hall Green and Gainsborough; reforming of unit; airfield guard duties at Gainsborough; state of preparedness in GB, 1940; loss of hair at Gainsborough.
REEL 7 Continues: method of obtaining beer money at Gainsborough; accommodation in stables; amusing story of comrade mistaking toilet; role of pioneer platoon; camouflaging steel helmets; move to New Romney; training with commandos at New Romney; collapse of blockhouse; shooting on firing range at Lydd; growth in regimental pride; sight of aircraft flying out to intercept German battleships during Channel Dash at Deal, 2/1942; effect of saying goodbye to wife. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Larconia from GB to Egypt via South Africa, 5/1942-7/1942: embarkation with advanced party at Liverpool, GB; exploring Liverpool Docks; units travelling on ship; memories of officer Tom Coath; amusing story of explaining his background to officer; boxing tournament.
REEL 8 Continues: behaviour of Private Peter Horton; arrival in Freetown, Sierra Leone; engine trouble with ship; arrival in Cape Town, South Africa, 6/1942; march in full battle order around Cape Town, South Africa; arrival in Egypt; memories of George Formby's brother working as cook on ship; fate of HMT Larconia; fear of ship being torpedoed. Recollections of operations with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in Egypt, 7/1942-11/1942: reaction to arrival in Egypt; problem with flies; question of break-up of Pioneer Platoon; move into front line, 8/1942; preparations to use Sticky Bombs on German tanks; positions on Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt; initial attack across open ground, 3/9/1942; reaction to first action; failure to reach Axis positions; casualties in attack; Italian Army collection of dead.
REEL 9 Continues: German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber attack; accuracy of German mortar fire; withdrawal into reserve on ridge; unit patrolling; sight of artillery barrage at start of Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 23/10/1942; advance from El Alamein Line, Egypt to Derna in Libya; contact with Axis prisoners of war; nature of advance after El Alamein Line, Egypt; rations in desert; withdrawal to Canal Zone, Egypt, 12/1945; arrival of new drafts; reception of new officer in unit; change in character of battalion. Aspects of period with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in Middle East, 1/1943: move to Iraq, 1/1943; question of lack of preparation for desert warfare; changing attitude to military service after Battle of El Alamein; pattern of training and morale of unit; embarkation aboard HMT Empire Trooper at Basra. Recollections of period with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy,
4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India, 2/1943-11/1943: initial impressions of Bombay.
REEL 10 Continues: building bridge over watercourse; fate of bridge in monsoon; incident of being bitten by scorpion; character of jungle training; training with mules; loading mules; casualties amongst mules; amusing story of contact with Indian Army muleteers; amount of pioneer equipment carried; water and food rations; amusing story of contact with staff officer umpire during exercise; character of jungle; method of making punji sticks; problems with canvas jungle shoes; removal of leeches; snake hunting; incident of finding snake in Bren Gun pouch.
REEL 11 Continues: collecting snake for Major James 'Elephant Bill' Williams; method of catching snakes; precautions taken against malaria; contacting malaria; accommodation at Ranchi; contact with Indian civilians; story of comrade's activities on leave; leave in Calcutta; other leave taken in India; meeting with General Claude Auckinleck; story of having leave pass and money stolen; injury received during encounter with Indian civilians.
REEL 12 Continues: preparations for move to Arakan, Burma, 11/1944; journey to Chittagong. Recollections of operations as NCO with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Arakan, Burma, 12/1943-3/1944: march towards fron line; accidental shelling of unit near The Tunnels; character of advance towards The Tunnels; injury sustained by barbed wire; reaction to promotion to lance corporal; opinion of Imperial Japanese Army troops; behaviour of wounded Imperial Japanese Army prisoner of war; Imperial Japanese Army night-time attacks; use of slit trenches; fate of Imperial Japanese Army officer who sneaked up on trench; soldier who received compassionate leave for wife's infidelity; memories of Lance Corporal John Harman and attitude towards his actions.
REEL 13 Continues: nature of American K-rations; terrain around The Tunnels; story of post-war meeting with sister of soldier shot by Imperial Japanese Army sniper; character of frontal attacks against Imperial Japanese Army positions; Imperial Japanese Army defensive positions; enplaning aboard aircraft in Arakan; character of flight from Arakan to Dimapur, India. Recollections of operations with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Div at Kohima, India, 4/1944-5/1944: entertainment at Dimapur including George Formby; listening patrols; abortive journey to Kohima; nature of road journey between Dimapur and Kohima.
REEL 14 Continues: disembarking from lorries under Imperial Japanese Army artillery fire; taking cover in ditch; retrieving equipment from lorries; move onto hillside; construction of trench; position above the Tennis Court; problems with rations and ammunition; size of companies; features at Kohima; attempt to find blankets and ammunition on road; Imperial Japanese Army's use of horses to screen attack; fate of mortar section; method of moving between positions; psychological pressures during seige; moving wounded from first aid post onto road; condition of wounded; role of Lance Corporal John Harman in winning Victoria Cross at Kohima, 3/1944; Imperial Japanese Army attempts to infiltrate unit positions; air supply; distinguishing between different parachutes used; retrieval of supplies.
REEL 15 Continues: Imperial Japanese Army attacks; awareness of approach of 2nd Infanty Div; question of Japanese taking positions; fortification of his trench; proximity of Imperial Japanese Army troops; Imperial Japanese Army mortaring of withdrawal; advice given to relieving troops; physical condition after siege; reaction to being withdrawn to Dimapur. Recollections of operations as NCO with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Div in India and Burma, 6/1944-8/1945: state of Imperial Japanese Army on advance south into Burma; condition of Tiddim Road; skirmishes with Imperial Japanese Army troops; accidental bombing of troops on Tiddim Road; prior recollection of the making of the Kohima Memorial Cross; pattern of advance towards Pegu, Burma.
REEL 16 Continues: amusing story of shaving off of sergeant-major's moustache; crossing of River Chindwin and River Irrawaddy, Burma; character of terrain in central Burma; opinion of Gurkhas; arrival in Rangoon, Burma; reasons for return to GB; return journey to GB, 1945; meeting with Major John Winstanley on return to GB; demobilisation, 1945; attitude to having served with 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt during Second World War.
